CANZUK

CANZUK is a proposed alliance of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom to form an international organisation or confederation similar in scope to the former European Economic Community. This includes increased trade, foreign policy co-operation, military co-operation and mobility of citizens between the four states. This is tied together by similar economic systems, social values and political and legal system, a shared head of state being King Charles III, in addition to the majority population of each country speaking English. The idea is lobbied by the advocacy group CANZUK International. Other supporters include think tanks such as the Adam Smith Institute, the Henry Jackson Society, Bruges Group and politicians from the four countries.

History

The term

The term CANZUK was first coined by William David McIntyre in his 1967 book Colonies into Commonwealth in the context of a "CANZUK Union". The idea of increased migration, trade and foreign policy cooperation between the CANZUK countries was created and popularized in 2015 by CEO and Founder of CANZUK International, James Skinner.
In the wake of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum and the decision made by Britain to leave the European Union, writers such as Andrew Lilico and James C. Bennett, along with academics such as the historian Andrew Roberts, also advocated that Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom merge and form a new entity in international politics. Roberts suggested that such a bloc could slot into the international order as a third pillar of the West. Beyond this, Roberts argues that due to its territorial scale, geographic scope and advanced economy that it would qualify as a "great power" and potentially a "global power".
Some advocates such as Roberts favour a federal or confederal union. Others, such as Lilico, describe the objective as being the creation of a "geopolitical partnership" akin to the European Economic Community. In the version favoured by Lilico, by the advocacy group CANZUK international and by the Conservative Party of Canada, the proposal would involve the creation of a free-movement zone, a multilateral free trade agreement and a security partnership. The more general concept of deepening trade ties has many advocates, including figures such as former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, former British Prime Minister Theresa May and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Relationship

Canada, Australia and New Zealand are former dominions of the British Empire where people of British ethnic origin came to constitute the majority of the population. Today, the four CANZUK countries maintain a close affinity of cultural, diplomatic and military ties to one another. The Australian and New Zealand national flags contain the Union Flag in their canton, and the Union Flag is a ceremonial flag in Canada.
Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are also Commonwealth realms which share Charles III as their constitutional monarch and their head of state. The countries share a number of institutional, linguistic and religious similarities such as the use of political systems based upon the Westminster parliamentary system of government, and common law. The CANZUK countries form part of the English-speaking world and share a number of Anglosphere military initiatives with each other including the Fincastle Trophy, Five Eyes intelligence, ABCANZ Armies and AUSCANNZUKUS, which are concerned with increased military and naval co-operation. Canada and the United Kingdom are allied through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization while Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are allied through the Five Power Defence Arrangements.
All four nations have diverse, multicultural populations, free and open presses, and are closely aligned on key social issues. Public relations are extremely warm between the four countries, with consistent evidence that people in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom regard each other's countries as their own country's closest friends and allies in the world, including the countries joining the United States of America in the Five Eyes intelligence sharing community.
Since 1983, Australia and New Zealand have had formal trade ties with the Closer Economic Relations agreement.
In 2021, Australia and the United Kingdom agreed to one of the broadest trade agreements in Australia's history, only comparable with a similar deal between New Zealand and Australia. Greatly liberalising free movement of goods and people, the new agreement will reduce technological and digital barriers between the two nations. It is intended that lawyer degrees in Australia and the United Kingdom will have the same legal framework, making it easier for lawyers in both nations to apply for work in each other's countries. The new agreement will reduce visa requirements for unskilled farmworkers and other regional work sectors.

Country comparison

Economic comparison

Using data from 2019, below is a table comparing the CANZUK countries to each other, as well as their combined size as a percentage of the world.

Country	Population	Area	Exclusive Economic Zone	Military Expenditures	Nominal GDP	Nominal GDP per capita	PPP GDP	PPP GDP per capita	National Wealth	National Wealth per capita	Human Development Index
	67,886,004	243,610 km²	6,805,586 km²	55.10	$3,960	$56,660	$4,450	$63,760	$14,073	$212,640	0.929
	38,014,184	9,984,670 km²	5,559,077 km²	22.50	$2,280	$54,930	$2,720	$65,500	$7,407	$202,240	0.936
	25,741,500	7,741,220 km²	8,505,348 km²	26.30	$1,830	$65,950	$1,980	$71,430	$7,329	$299,748	0.951
	5,356,700	268,838 km²	4,420,565 km²	4.30	$262	$49,380	$297	$55,780	$1,162	$240,821	0.937
Total	136,998,388	18,238,338 km²	25,290,576 km²	108.2	$8,332	$56,730	$9,447	$64,117	$29,971	$226,913	0.938
Total as % of World	1.7%	11.7%	18.3%	5.4%	7.1%	–	4.5%	–	10.7%	–	–

Dependencies and overseas territories

Canada

Canada has no external territories, but maintains three internal territories alongside the provinces of the Canadian mainland. Unlike the provinces, the territories of Canada have no inherent sovereignty and have only those powers delegated to them by the federal government. They include all of mainland Canada north of latitude 60° north and west of Hudson Bay and all islands north of the Canadian mainland.

Australia

In addition to the six Australian States, Australia also comprises ten territories, whose existence and governmental structure depend on federal legislation. The territories are distinguished for federal administrative purposes between internal territories, i.e. those within the Australian mainland, and external territories, although the differences among all the territories relate to population rather than location.
Two of the three internal territoriesthe Australian Capital Territory, which was established to be a neutral site of the federal capital, and the Northern Territoryfunction almost as states. Each has self-government, through its legislative assembly, but the assembly's legislation can be federally overridden. Each has its own judiciary, with appeal to a federal court. The third internal territory, the Jervis Bay Territory, is the product of Australia's complex relationship with its capital city; rather than having the same level of autonomy as the other internal territories, it has services provided by the ACT.
There are also seven external territories, not part of the Australian mainland or of any state. Three of them have a small permanent population, two have tiny and transient populations, and two are uninhabited. All are directly administered by the federal Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities. Norfolk Island, which is permanently populated, was partially self-governing until 2015.

New Zealand

The Pacific islands of the Cook Islands and Niue became New Zealand's first colonies in 1901 and then protectorates. From 1965 the Cook Islands became self-governing, as did Niue from 1974. Tokelau came under New Zealand control in 1925 and remains a non-self-governing territory.
The Ross Dependency comprises that sector of the Antarctic continent between 160° east and 150° west longitude, together with the islands lying between those degrees of longitude and south of latitude 60° south. The British government took possession of this territory in 1923 and entrusted it to the administration of New Zealand. Neither Russia nor the United States recognises this claim, and the matter remains unresolved by the Antarctic Treaty, which serves to mostly smooth over these differences. The area is uninhabited, apart from scientific bases.
New Zealand citizenship law treats all parts of the Realm equally, so most people born in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau and the Ross Dependency before 2006 are New Zealand citizens. Further conditions apply for those born from 2006 onwards.